MySQL Marinate – a new way to learn MySQL

Every so often you hear an idea that makes you wonder why it had not been thought of it before. At the recent Northeast PHP Conference, Sheeri Cabral and I were at the speakers dinner when we heard how the Boston PHP group was training novices. Many folks were joining the Boston PHP book but were just starting out and needed some formalized training. So the brilliant Gene Babon came up with the idea of PHP Peculate. The idea is simple: Everyone buys the same book, reads one chapter a week, and posts answers to exercises online. They had great success with PHP and some other subjects. Sheeri has adapted the idea to MySQL and has just announced MySQL Marinate.

Membership in the group is free but you will have to obtain a copy of Learning MySQL (The O’Reilly butterfly book) and if you do not have a copy already, please buy through the link to help pay for the very small overhead of the course.

Then read one chapter per week, complete the exercises and post a link to the completed work. Assistance can be had by assistance by posting questions to a discussion area set up for the course. So spread the word, join the group, and lets train some more MySQL-ers.

The FAQ from the MySQL Marinate website

Q: How long will the course last?

A: We will cover 12 lessons (chapters) in the book, so 12 (twelve) weeks starting January 1. Refer to the MySQL Marinate Season 1 Master Discussion List (coming soon) for specific dates.

Q: Do I have to wait until January 1 to begin?

A: No need to wait. Feel free to begin by reading the first lesson (chapter) once you obtain a copy of your book.

Q: What if I didn’t RSVP in time and still want to join?

A: Just write us a note, and if there is still time we can add you to the list. Or you can wait until the next season when we start another.

Q: Does this cover the Percona patch set or MariaDB forks?

A: This covers the basics of MySQL, which are immediately transferable to Percona’s patched MySQL or MariaDB builds.

Q: What do I need in order to complete the course?

A: All you need is the book and access to a computer, preferably one that you have control over.

Q: The book was published in 2007. Isn’t that a bit old?

A: Yes! We are working on new material, but it won’t be ready by Jan 1, 2013. The basics are still accurate, and we will let you know what in the book is outdated. We will also have optional supplemental/”extra credit” material for those who want to learn more right away. We are confident that this self-study course will make you ready to dive into other, more advanced material.

Tweet using the hashtag #mysqlmarinate.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 at 2:32 pm and is filed under MySQL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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